01 · Who Michael works with

Michael works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and trauma and abuse

Michael lists 18 specialisms and 34 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Michael chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Michael's own words

What Michael says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello, my name is Michael Cotter. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and have over 7 years of professional counseling experience as well as another 8 years of paraprofessional experience in helping people achieve the change they desire. I currently work in the field of addictions and have for the past 7 years. I work not only with those who are struggling with addiction but also the other related problems it creates. This includes depression, anxiety, bi-polar, self-esteem, loneliness, abuse, stress, and family related problems. I am also a certified trauma specialist who is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma (CPT), and hold a Medication Assisted Recovery Specialist certificate as well.

I have a long story of overcoming my own struggles in life and personally understand just how hard it can be to reach out for help. I meet people where they are, walk through the struggle of change with them no matter how long it takes, and above all never judge anyone for where they are in life or how they got there. I offer client centered solution focused counseling that incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy, existentialism, and motivational interviewing.

Michael Cotter, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Nov 2026

03 · How Michael works

The 6 approaches Michael lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Michael lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Michael's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Michael runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Michael practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Michael's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Michael at this point.

2. Naming Michael specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Michael is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Michael.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Michael

Built from what Michael actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Michael's - Michael has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LPC

Licensed in

Missouri

Licence

MO LPC 2017023723

Licence number

2017023723

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1013427657

Years in practice

3

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Michael's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Michael. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.